Background and aims:Missed nursing care (MNC) is a significant worldwide concern for nurses and nurse managers Studies show that factors affecting MNCs differ across various health systems. This review aims to explain the factors that influence MNC. Methods:A thorough search was conducted across various databases to gather clinical trials conducted in English and Persian languages between ۲۰۰۶ and ۲۰۲۴. The databases included PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, Proquest, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Irandoc, SID, and Magiran. Boolean operators such as AND and OR were used to combine the search terms, which included "Nursing Care", "Missed Nursing Care", "Patient Care", "Care left undone", "Delayed care", and "Unfinished care." The review excluded studies published in languages other than English and Persian, expert opinions, conference abstracts, case reports, studies without full text, and qualitative studies. A checklist was used to evaluate and validate the clinical trial studies. Results: MNC is linked to factors such as sex, age, and the number of patients under care. The highest missed care index is observed in the dimension of basic care interventions. Human resource, communication, and material resource factors are identified as the main contributors to missed nursing care. Among the human resource factors, insufficient staff followed by an unexpected increase in patient volume and/or workload are the main reasons. Regarding communication, nurses perceive the unavailability of nurses when patients call for them as a significant issue, followed by tension or errors in communication with medical staff. For material resource factors, the unavailability of drugs when necessary is a major concern, followed by inadequate supplies and equipment. Additionally, attending interdisciplinary care conferences, patient discharge planning and teaching, providing emotional support to patients and/or family, feeding patients, and assessing patients were identified as the most frequently missed nursing care types. Furthermore, factors such as “support capabilities” and “ethical and legal requirements” can moderate MNC.Conclusion:According to a recent study, a significant number of essential nursing interventions were found to be overlooked, which can result in adverse consequences for patients in medical units. Appropriate nursing care standards must be implemented promptly to safeguard the well-being of frail patients. The findings of this study can be useful for nurse managers to monitor and manage the level of MNC and its potential impact.
